Wetlands

Wetlands are essentially just that - land that is either permanently or seasonally wet. Once thought of as wastelands, they were frequently drained for other purposes. Wetlands are now however, recognized as having an integral role in a healthy ecosystem. They provide a range of important functions from flood storage and groundwater recharge to habitat for breeding and migrant birds and a host of other species. People have come to recognize the value of wetlands for passive recreation such as canoeing, bird watching and nature appreciation.

The Lake Simcoe watershed has many wetlands – some large expanses containing a variety of wetland types, such as the Zephyr-Egypt Wetland Complex, and other small pockets of wetland like the Vivian Bog. The Ontario Wetland Evaluation System is used to determine the significance of individual wetlands and wetland complexes, from which wetlands are then deemed "Provincially Significant" or “Locally Significant”. The evaluation of wetlands and updating of the evaluations is an ongoing task that is overseen by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Maps
Wetlands

Preview Document 122(KB), 1 Minutes @ 28.8Kbps
Download Document 1350(KB), 10 Minutes @ 28.8Kbps